Stage 12

The road

At the start

Port de Balès, then the Peyragudes ramp

A fifth win for Kittel in Pau, and the general classification has not moved in four days: Froome by eighteen seconds from Aru, 51 from Bardet, 55 from Urán. Today is the longest Pyrenean stage of the race, 215 kilometres and nearly 5,000 metres of climbing, building through the Ares and the Menté to the Port de Balès, then the Peyresourde, then the last few hundred metres rearing up onto the Peyragudes altiport.

How it was won

1. 176 km to go

   Matthews over the Menté

   The versatile Michael Matthews leads the break over the Col de Menté, trading blows with green-jersey rival Kittel in their long-running points duel.

2. 231 km to go

   Hostilities on the Port de Balès

   The HC Port de Balès signals the real racing: Steve Cummings forges clear up front while Sky begin to impose their rhythm on the yellow jersey group.

3. 36 km to go

   Kwiatkowski burns them off

   Michał Kwiatkowski’s ferocious tempo on the Peyresourde drops Nairo Quintana, and at the summit Alberto Contador finally cracks and loses contact.

4. 41 km to go

   Froome cracks

   On the brutally steep final ramp to Peyragudes, the Sky machine misfires — and, astonishingly, it is Chris Froome who cracks and drifts backwards.

5. 5At the line

   Aru and Bardet pounce

   Aru attacks with 300m to go and Bardet delivers the decisive acceleration, both leaving the yellow jersey floundering in the closing metres.

6. 6At the line

   Bardet wins, Froome loses yellow

   Romain Bardet takes a memorable win at Peyragudes as Chris Froome cedes the maillot jaune to Fabio Aru by six seconds.

The result